


love like this

by codesandhearts



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Families of Choice, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Zeus Being an Asshole (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), [ben wyatt voice] it's about the yearning..., disaster bi jason grace, ish, we really do say fuck canon, wow damn that was actually a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:00:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25183657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/codesandhearts/pseuds/codesandhearts
Summary: Five years after the Gaea war, a fight erupts between Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood, angering the gods. The only way to appease them? A union between the camps.//Jason sighs, braving himself. “I’minlovewithmyhusband.”Piper strokes his hair, silently going -why did I date this dumb idiot?“You know,” she says, “for most people, that’s a good thing.”
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Jason Grace
Comments: 24
Kudos: 292





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> alternatively titled 'nico & jason: pure of heart, dumb of ass, home of sexual'
> 
> also does this fic make sense?? whomst the fuck knows this is purely self-indulgent

It takes weeks, lots of food and promises to get the campers to calm down but by then, the damage is done. The gods are angry, saying they knew they shouldn’t have let the camps know about each other, it’s better if there weren’t ambassadors, they should go back to how it used to be. Greeks here, Romans there. The campers are regretful, even if the past few years have been trying and difficult, the system works. It’s good they know about their Roman counterparts, and they’re working towards peace.

Heads of cabins and praetors alike stand before the gods in Olympus, waiting for judgement.

“There is only one way to resolve this,” Zeus says.

“No quests,” Percy says. “No duels, battles to the death.”

Percy Jackson is the only person who can intimidate the gods, after almost strangling Misery and basically asking the gods to pay child support after the last Titan war, and Jason and Annabeth are a close second.

Poseidon looks humored. “There are only _two_ ways to resolve this.”

No one speaks for a moment, until Hera stands. “A union,” she says, “between the camps.”

“A union,” Annabeth says, “like…marriage?”

Hera nods stoically. Percy grabs Annabeth’s hand, and quickly says, “We’ll do it.”

Annabeth turns fond, then exasperated - a normal reaction to Percy. “Between the camps, Seaweed Brain,” she says. “One Greek, one Roman.”

“I was Roman for a while!”

“But Poseidon claimed you, not Neptune.”

There are murmurs around the gods, the demigods, and, for a while, no voice goes higher than a whisper. Jason is thinking about it, there aren’t any campers who are in relationships with the other camp. There have been flings, sure, ill-advised makeout sessions in the middle of Capture the Flag, and awkward morning afters (they’re teenagers, after all, Jason can’t blame them - he’d probably do the same thing, if it wasn’t for the breakup with Piper and the inconvenient truth of him being completely in love with someone else), but nothing longstanding, nothing that can appease the gods.

“Your son would be a good candidate,” Apollo says and, for a moment, he can’t tell who he’s talking to, but the god makes eye contact with Zeus. _Oh_. “He was Roman-born, with a Greek sister, he’s been a praetor and a counselor.”

“Yes, isn’t he still with my daughter? A Roman husband with a Greek wife,” Aphrodite supplies. Jason can see Hera smile at the prospect.

Jason wants to speak out - his entire life has been dictated by the gods but he can’t bring himself to speak. He’s only seen his father twice before this and both times disastrous, but Zeus can’t be considering this, can he? Throwing his son into a marriage with his ex-girlfriend, just because the gods can’t be satisfied with the way things are, _again_?

“Yes, he is a good candidate,” Zeus says. 

They’re talking about him like he’s not even _here_. He feels Drew next to him, in the absence of Piper, who's making sure the camp is okay. She’s grown to be a good friend, despite it all. She’s still full of sharp edges most times but, here, her hand brushing against his as a sign of compassion, he’s more than grateful for her steadiness.

If Piper were here, she wouldn’t stand for this. He wishes he had her bravery.

The truth is, he could speak out for everyone else, fight for justice for every single person in this room, but when it comes to him - his hands shake, his mouth opens for inaudible words. 

Jason can’t even look at any of their friends, knows they will look at him full of pity, full of regret. He stares at the arm of his father’s chair and doesn’t let go.

“Then so it shall be,” Zeus says.

“No!” someone yells. Jason wonders if he said it, an outburst of outrage at the state of things, but it’s Nico, stepping forward.

Percy joins him, with the support of the demigods behind him. “You can’t make him do this.”

“Nico,” Hades says. “Son, please.”

“He’s given enough!” Nico says and something in Jason bursts, a dam opening, and he’s in love, love, _love_. He wonders if Drew can sense it because he feels her hand loosen her grip.

Zeus is angry, Jason can see that. “We have been more than lenient, son of Hades,” he says. “If not a union between my son and the daughter of Aphrodite, then another Greek daughter. Or, perhaps, a challenge would be more appropriate.”

Every single demigod’s face blanch at the suggestion - they’ve lost enough people. He knows Percy would rather die than see any one of his campers go through what he did and Reyna wouldn’t be far behind.

He can hear Leo say, “ _This is so fucking unfair_ ,” under his breath. 

“He’s not even with Piper anymore!” Nico yells.

Aphrodite’s face scrunches up. “Is he not? There is something in him, I can sense it. He’s in love.” Ah, crap. It doesn't help that, when he looks at Aphrodite's face, he sees the pale imitation of Nico's cheekbones, his dark hair. 

Nico spares a look at Jason then, confused. Jason doesn’t blame him, they spend a lot of time together, if Jason was in love, Nico must’ve thought he would’ve told him. And he would’ve, if it wasn’t Nico his heart thrummed for. He hasn’t really told anyone, except for Piper. Then the determination returns, a steely look in his eyes. He mouths to Jason - _I’m sorry_.

“He is,” he says, and does something Jason would never in a million eons expect. He steps back, takes Jason’s hand in his, grips tight. “So am I.”

Percy just _stares_ at them for a good few seconds, dumbfounded, and so does everyone else. Zeus looks at Jason, at Nico, at their entwined fingers. Nico is warm in his hand, he never expected him to be.

“Unacceptable,” his father says. “A son of Hades, and a son of Jupiter?”

Nico stands his ground. “He was the first person who truly saw me, and accepted me.”

“He did come to _the Underworld_ to bring Nico back to camp,” Hades says thoughtfully. “After that breakup with the Solace boy.”

“He drank the poison in House of Hades,” Frank retorts.

“He’s the one who persuaded Nico to stay at camp,” Percy says.

Okay, he _does not_ need this. His face is warm.

“You wanted a union,” Nico says.

“You only want to save him,” Zeus says.

Nico looks at Jason. “Always.” For one second, everything fades. This is the truth - both of them, after everything they’ve been through - Nico will save him, and Jason would do the same. For a moment, Jason wants to believe this isn’t a choice between war, and this. He wants to believe there is only this, their hands together, the scent of Nico, of rain and the earth.

“Father,” Jason says, the first word he’s spoken since they came, “I care about Nico.”

“Is that so?” Zeus asks. Jason nods. “Then it is done. A union to appease the gods. We will reconvene in the winter solstice to see relations between the camps.”

Six months. Six months being _Nico’s husband_. He’s going to die.

They are all dismissed and Percy grabs onto Jason’s shoulder, causing him to drop Nico’s hand in surprise. He didn’t even realize they were still holding hands, he already misses it.

"That was crazy, man," Percy says. "I can't believe they'd make you do that. Well, actually I can, which just makes me _angrier_. You're not even twenty-one!"

"Percy, it's fine." It's not fine, nothing is ever just _fine_ when you're a half-blood. It's complicated and dangerous, and unfair above all else, and he knows that. "It was a war, or this. And this," Jason spares a look to Nico, "this is better." 

"Still," Percy reassures him, his teeth gritted. Jason swears, this guy runs on pure adrenaline, love for his friends and spite for the gods. “Also, why didn’t you tell me about Nico? I thought we were bros.”

Hazel comes up to them. “Why didn’t you tell any of us?”

“Oh, um, you know Nico, he’s a private person, and the whole mess with Will-”

“I wanted to be sure this would take, before I told anyone,” Nico says, saving him. Always, just, saving him. “Besides, we’ve only been together for a few months.”

“I _knew_ you were hiding something!” Hazel says, holding onto her brother. “You told me you had feelings for someone ages ago-”

Nico stops her with a shush. Jason’s heart breaks a little bit. Of course Nico has feelings for someone else, maybe for Will, again. This was a lie, this was pretend, only to stop a war between the camps. The blush on his cheeks, the high he got from holding Nico’s hand, subsides. Though there is still a rush that comes from being so close to Nico, that has always been there, will always be there.

But Nico deserves to be with who he wants. Jason’s skin itches, jealousy pricks at him, but the discomfort is nothing new. He felt the same, the whole two years Will and Nico were together, and he will do it again.

On the elevator down from Olympus, their fingers brush against each other. Jason isn’t going to survive this, he decides.

It’s not like he purposely avoids Nico when they get back to camp, but he needs some time alone, to think, so he spars. The summer air bites at him, sweat covers his forehead, his neck, and he is hot merely by the thought of Nico. He’s pretty sure the boxing dummy has seen better days by the time his arms are comfortably sore and aching.

He hates that the gods see fit to punish them like this. Sure, the fight that broke out a few weeks ago between the campers was bad, but it was nothing they couldn’t have dealt with on their own. The gods intervened, calling time out on their children, always underestimating their abilities to make peace, always forgetting they’re all kids, after all.

He goes to his cabin, alone, taking off his shirt to cool down when Nico comes in.

“Oh, sorry,” Nico says. It’s evening out, dusk simmers in the windows, but Jason can almost make out pink in Nico’s face. “Well, sorry for a few things, actually.”

“Nico-”

“I know that was stupid,” Nico says. “But I definitely didn’t want anyone to die, and you and Piper-it was the best I could think of.”

Jason smiles. “It was a good idea, Nico. You didn’t have to offer yourself, y’know. Piper and I could’ve managed fine, though she probably would’ve strangled me by the end of it. Or, maybe Drew, who knows.”

“Oh, I mean, I’m sure the gods would be happy with that -but everyone thinks-”

“No, this is good,” Jason says. “I’m glad it’s you.”

 _Gods_.

“Me, too,” Nico says quietly.

“And it won’t be forever,” Jason says reassuringly. “Six months, that’s time for us to think of a more permanent solution, make sure the camps united, and make sure the gods are happy. You only have to put up with me until the winter solstice.”

“As long as you don’t wear your sneakers to the wedding,” Nico says.

 _Wedding_. For their _marriage_.

“No promises,” Jason says. In this light, Nico is soft. He has grown in the five years Jason’s known him. Taller, almost to Jason’s height, his hair a messy black. His face has filled out a bit, Will was a proponent in making sure Nico ate well and often, and his skin is a light olive now. He looks healthier, happier. But there are some moments, where anger and fear and depression take over, Jason knows. He’s someone Nico goes to when that happens, hand on his shoulder, and gentle words, silence and heartbeats in an empty cabin. It’s one of the only times Jason knows he can reach out, give him a hug. 

“You should get some rest,” Jason says. The night makes Nico beautiful, and Jason weak. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Lots to discuss.”

“Yeah.”

Nico gives him a small smile before he leaves and Jason collapses on his bed. He only gets a few seconds of peace before Piper bursts in.

“I don’t come for one meeting,” she yells, “and _you’re getting married_?”

“Piper, please.”

“I already had to fight Leo for best man, don’t think I’m not going to fight you for being an _idiot_.”

They get married three days later, at a neutral location right in the middle of Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood, with representatives from both camps. They're in a sparsely-decorated wedding hall, where the children of Demeter have made vines and flowers grow along the windows and doors, Leo has programmed the shitty audio system to play cheesy love songs and Chiron stands before them as an officiant. Reyna and Frank are there, welcome friends to both him and Nico, and Thalia and some Hunters have joined, as well.

It should be all so formal and strict, a means to an end, but, for some reason, Jason’s happier than he’s been in years. He can't remember the last time all their friends have been in the same room like this. _It's all a lie_ , a part of his mind goes, _they are all smiling for nothing more than a lie_. But then Nico smiles, the summer heat making his cheeks pink. He dresses in Greek robes and Jason in Roman, they look ridiculous and Leo spares no expense in making sure they know it.

Their friends seem to take their ‘relationship’ in stride, as if they’ve all been let in on a secret Jason doesn’t know. Leo tells him he thought Jason and Nico had been dating for at least two years, Hazel is just happy her brother is happy, Annabeth only pulls him aside and says she will hurt him if he hurts Nico. Jason says he will wholeheartedly allow her, but he's thinking he's the one who'll come out of this with a broken heart. 

The only notable exceptions seem to be Piper, who actually knows the truth, and Drew. Aphrodite girls are scary perceptive, and Jason is lucky he counts them both as friends, or else he’d be in trouble. Drew gives him a knowing smile before the ceremony, and a kiss on his cheek.

“Sweetie, I’m here if you need me, alright?” she says, earnest. He can’t remember a time before this, this gentle and biting friendship of theirs, when Drew let her grief for Silena to transform into someone she couldn’t recognize. Someone cruel, jealous, hurt. The last five years of peace has made Drew a friend.

It’s a short ceremony, perfunctory, Piper and Leo (they decided to tie for best man without _much_ blood spillage) next to him and Hazel by Nico, but Percy still whoops loudly when they’re announced as husbands. When Chiron says they can kiss, Jason almost doesn’t want to. In his head, the thought of _not like this_ keeps repeating itself, but Nico is bright, made happy from their friends, his mouth is open, curved up in a lingering smile, and Jason only has so much strength.

It's a small kiss, nothing more than lips pressing against each other but Jason's knees go weak, his entire world opens. Nico tastes like the earth, unwavering and steady, and it grounds Jason.

There are worse things than being married to your best friend.

“Hi, Mr Di Angelo,” Nico says and Jason is confused for a second, thinking he’s somehow addressing himself, then he realizes.

“Hi, Mr Grace,” Jason responds.

He hasn’t had a lick of alcohol but he feels drunk, his hands fumbling, words in a stutter. On their hands are matching golden bands and Jason feels like he’s being lit on fire from the inside.

Hazel and Leo force them onto a space in the room not overtaken by plastic chairs and booze, what is effectively their dance floor, and Leo puts on a cheesy country song. If ever Jason really gets married (he won't, he already knows, won't get married if it's not to Nico) Leo's not going to be put in charge of the music. 

"C'mon," Nico says, "let's give them a show." 

A show, nothing more. 

Jason pulls Nico in, brave on the energy the day has given him, a hand on the small of Nico's back. Nico breathes in sharply and Jason can almost believe he's affected by this as much as Jason is. Their hands find each other and they sway, soft movements against each other. He can feel the eyes of their friends from around the room, and the telling _clink clink clink_ , urging them to kiss. 

So they do. Jason's already getting addicted to Nico's lips and he wonders who it is Nico is thinking about when he's kissing him. 

The party lasts for a good while, if Percy has anything to say about it. But it's been hours and even Nico, who he has a hard time believing has a well-adjusted sleeping schedule, is tired. 

"Think it's time you brought your husband home, Jace," Thalia says and Jason blushes. _Husband_. How did this become his life?

"I hope you enjoy your cabin!" Leo yells out, then leans against Percy. He regrets ever introducing the two of them. Thalia would call them the same kind of dumbass and Jason's not likely to disagree. 

Jason puts a calm hand on Nico's shoulder. "You alright there?" he asks softly. Nico's not gotten drunk or anything (though Jason suspects being this close to a bunch of demigods drinking fizzy alcohol would make anyone tipsy) but his eyes look it. Half-lidded and sleepy. It must be the late hour, the night, the booze, their friends, their laughter, _anything_ , but Nico reaches out, puts a hand on Jason's cheek. The touch is warm. 

"Yeah," Nico says, "Just fine."

Jason reaches up and takes Nico's hand from his face, cradles it in his for a bit, until, it seems, Nico's realized what they're doing and pulls away. 

"I can shadowtravel us back."

Jason narrows his eyes. "You're not too tired?"

He can hear a muttered, "Not anymore." 

They wave goodbye to their friends and Nico puts a steady hand on Jason's arm and, in a split second, they're engulfed in darkness, then back at camp, in front of Cabin 1. "I feel like I'll never get used to that," Jason says. "But I still find it super cool."

"Thanks," Nico says. "Will never liked me doing it, said it was creepy." 

"Nah, not creepy. Just different." Jason leads him into the cabin and, man, now he wishes he didn't. He wishes he didn't have _eyes_. Their friends have decorated it in multicoloured streamers, balloons, a giant banner that says HAPPY GAY MARRIAGE in neon bright colors. Also, rose petals on two of the cabin beds that have been pushed together. "I..."

"I think I'm blind," Nico, whose wardrobe consists of black and more black, is visibly appalled. 

"You know what, you go ahead and change and I'll try and take down some of...this." 

"Uh," Nico says.

"What?"

"All my clothes are still in my cabin."

Jason's shoulders relax. "I've got a few hoodies and sweatpants in the closet, help yourself. The partition's just there and, uh, I'll help you move out from your cabin tomorrow."

The whole living situation is confusing - they've agreed to split their time between here and New Rome where Jason has a place and is studying part-time, just so it seems they're not favouring one camp over the other. Chiron didn't really know what to do with their cabin situation, but agreed it would be best for them to share Cabin 1. Jason didn't ask but he's pretty sure the reason why he's never had this conversation before is the fact that most Greek demigods don't survive long enough to _get_ married. Which is...upsetting. 

Jason's taken down most of the balloons and posters that yell out for safe sex, which is the most he can do tonight. The tiredness catches up to him and strips down to his boxers while Nico's still changing. It takes a lot of willpower and strength to not heat up and combust, knowing Nico's in various states of undress behind a flimsy fabric curtain, but he deserves his space. Nico's sacrificed a big part of his life today, and Jason wants to be respectful. He wears one of Thalia's old band t-shirts and climbs into bed. 

Nico comes out, wearing one of his old purple SPQR hoodies and sweatpants, both of which are too big for him, but Jason's insides twist, completely and utterly endeared by the sight. "How big _are_ you?" Nico asks. "You're built like a brickhouse." 

"Shut up, and get the light." 

The light turns off and there's shuffling in the bed next to him. Jason can still smell the trace of roses. There's silence, until Nico speaks. "This is awkward, isn't it?" 

"Doesn't have to be," Jason says. "We've had sleepovers before." 

"Yeah, but we're usually just watching Avatar until we fall asleep." 

"We can do that. I downloaded Avatar on my phone." He rummages for it, the light of the demigod phone Leo built for all of them, then is hit with the sight of Nico in bed next to him, wearing his clothes, smelling like him. Something of the wolf stirs inside him. 

Nico laughs, a small thing. "You wanna watch Avatar on your wedding night? You know our friends probably think we're having sex now." 

Jason blushes. 

The show plays now, a soft, familiar sound, almost in tandem with Nico's breathing. For a few minutes, it's just them, like it used to be. Jason forgets the weight of the ring on his finger, forgets the reason they're here. 

"I never thanked you," Jason says. "But I need to. You did something incredible today. To save me, to save the camps. Thank you, Nico. I know this probably wasn't how you pictured getting married, and I wasn't your choice but...thank you." 

"There would be worse people to be married to," Nico says. 

"Excuse me, I'm gonna be the best husband, just you wait," Jason says. "I'll make you breakfast everyday."

"So, staplers for breakfast from now on?" 

"That's low." 

They laugh, and Jason falls asleep to the sound of Nico's breath. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jason and nico watch avatar and ship zukka


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i kno i said it'd be a few days but these dumb boys wouldnt leave my mind

They start thinking about it like a prolonged sleepover, at least Jason does, because he doesn’t know how to deal with the fact that he’s a husband without the thought. They move out Nico’s stuff from his cabin to Cabin 1, which, admittedly, isn’t a lot, Nico moves around a lot - here, Camp Jupiter, the Underworld, so everything has to be made compact to travel.

It kind of aches at Jason, the instability of Nico’s life that has only just started getting better, and here Jason is coming with another huge change. So Jason tries to make a seamless transition as he can, he creates a space solely for Nico in the cabin, makes sure there are spare clothes in Cabin 13, just in case he needs distance from Jason, doesn’t disrupt Nico’s routine as much as he can. Despite his efforts, he finds that nothing changes much, anyway. They’ve spent the last few years as best friends so it’s not an uncommon sight to see them pressing shoulders around the camp, but, now they hold hands. It’s such a small kind of intimacy, and it’s mostly for show, but Jason is finding it exhilarating nonetheless, something he never found with Piper.

Handholding, nothing special, right? But Nico’s hands are smaller than Jason’s, they fit in the cradle of his so nicely (perfectly) and there’s a tiny scar on his right palm Jason can’t recognize, he’ll always try to be on Jason’s left, so many intricacies Jason has never paid attention to.

Nico is tired today, he says the new campers are an enthusiastic bunch and treat sparring as a competition, trying to get Nico to yield as quickly as they can.

“Remember when I was scary, people were creeped out by me so they left me alone?” he asks. “I miss that.”

“No, you don’t,” Jason says.

Nico reluctantly nods. He’s more confident now, happier, fourteen-year-old Nico would never have even agreed to marry Jason, nor crack jokes about it. He’s changed, so much, and Jason’s the luckiest person alive to see it happen.

There are campers around them so he can get away with this - with his hand touching Nico’s cheek, a brief gesture of comfort in the summer heat.

“Besides, there are plenty of people you still freak out.” He pushes Nico’s hair out of his face. He’s got his hair tied up but his bangs sometimes get in his eyes.

“Yeah, like who?”

“Me, for instance. I’m freaked out by the fact that you can wear black hoodies in 80 degree weather.”

“You’re weak.”

“Hmm.” Jason absentmindedly says, not realizing the campers have left and he still has his hands in Nico’s hair. There’s something in Nico’s eyes he can’t read and Jason doesn’t want to risk it, this precious balance they have so he slowly pulls away. “We’ve got that meeting in an hour.”

Nico licks his lips, Jason follows the movement. “Yeah, I’ll clean up and meet you there.”

Jason basically spends the next free hour he has sitting in the woods, contemplating how the hell his life got this way. Monsters, he can handle, the fear of death, he’s used to it - but this, this proximity to his best friend he’s been trying (and failing) to not fall in love with for the five years, it’s a different kind of pain. When Nico was with Will, it hurt but the wound lessened just by virtue of knowing Nico was happy, that there were scars in him Will wanted to fix, and he still wanted Jason around. But, now, there’s no way Nico’s not dying, too, waiting for this to be over so he can just be Jason’s friend again, not his husband.

The heads of cabin, legionnaires, Chiron and Mr. D are all sitting around the Big House when he enters. It was Annabeth’s idea, to gather them today and try and find a better way to make the gods happy about the relations between the camps. Jason and Nico’s marriage seems to have put a bandaid on the situation but they need a failsafe just in case they get angry again and, knowing the gods, it will happen.

“This whole thing really doesn’t make sense,” Piper is saying, “the whole ‘war’ between Greeks and Romans. I know they’re scared of another civil war but the last five years have been relatively peaceful.”

“You have to remember, child, the gods aren’t human,” Chiron says. “There will always be something about humanity that eludes them. No offense, Mr. D.”

“None taken, mortals do indeed confuse me,” Mr. D says, taking a slow sip of his Diet Coke.

“Things have been better since Jason and Nico got married,” Percy says. “It’s done loads for morale. They see you guys as an example.”

Leo groans. “Gods, I hope not, I’m not ready to see a bunch of demigods nauseatingly holding hands around camp. Sorry, dude, but that shit is so cute it’s gross.”

“I’m inclined to agree with Valdez,” Mr. D quips.

Nico comes up behind him, smelling like his soap. “Don’t worry about it, they’re just jealous.”

Jason is red, he knows it, and Piper is snickering behind her hand. It’s completely unfair Nico can undo him like this. It’s been years, he’s not a teenager anymore, he’s a well-respected camp leader, slayer of Titans and this short Italian kid is undoing all the careful masks he’s put on.

“I think we need something that unites the camps,” Jason says. Is his voice rough? Did it just crack? “Something that forces them to work together, and we should make it an annual thing.”

Grover, who’s representing the satyrs and dryads of the camp, hums. Jason’s not really gotten to know Grover all that well but, during the wedding, he pulled Jason aside and told him that he’s always there to give husbandly advice. He and Juniper have been married two years now, only their rings are just pieces of wood they’ve carved out for each other. It’s so cute Jason can burst thinking about it.

“That’s a good idea,” he says.

“Friendly competition?” Frank suggests. “Like a massive Capture the Flag?”

Jason can already see Annabeth’s mind reeling over the possibility. “It’ll be a good way to interact with our Roman siblings, not make it too serious. It can show the gods we’re capable of working together without sending us on life-ending quests and forcing us to duel.”

“And a committee,” Cecil, who took over as head of Hermes cabin when Connor went to college, says. “Or someone to handle disputes between the Greeks and Romans.”

“I agree,” Reyna says. It took her a long while to warm up to the Greeks, but Jason’s happy she’s here, trying to build bridges. She notices his smile and leans towards him.

“It’s nice to know we can make nice even if our parents can’t,” he says.

Reyna shrugs. “Yes, well, we aren’t our parents.”

And Jason looks at her with something akin to wonder, overtaken by the fact that he misses her a whole lot.

Everyone has started to talk over each other, excited for their new plans. Reyna’s right, they aren’t their parents. Their parents would never have imagined a sight like this - a group of teenagers who should, by all accounts, hate each other, huddled over, trying to make peace.

“It’s nice to know you’re smart _and_ cute,” Nico says. “Guess I married quite a catch.”

Jason splutters, as Nico joins their friends to make plans. _Cute_ , Jason thinks, _he thinks I’m cute_.

Their nighttime routine hasn’t been nailed down just yet but Jason is getting used to how Nico operates. The way he won’t so much as strip of a shirt in front of Jason, and always changes first; his skin that smells faintly of cinnamon, of something sweet, and, how despite the fact they’ve fully moved Nico in, he still wears Jason’s hoodie and sweatpants to bed. One of the nights a few weeks ago, Jason asked if Nico wanted to separate the beds, no one will know, anyway but Nico just silently shook his head. Jason was glad, is still glad.

Jason’s body still works on praetor time, waking up at dawn and training, which means he’ll always wake up first. In the cold new hours of the morning, he allows himself the chance to look at Nico, just look at him, watch his chest rise and fall, the hair falling on his face. Once, he was brave enough to push strands of hair away from Nico’s mouth, but, other than that, he just spends the first minutes of his day pathetically mooning over his best friend.

“Hey,” Nico says in the darkness.

“Yeah?” Jason’s tired, his eyes are closed but his whole body leans into Nico’s voice.

“It’s your birthday tomorrow.”

Jason sleepily answers, “Yeah. I’m sure Percy’s throwing a whole party.”

“I mean, he told me not to tell you,” Nico says with small laughter tinting his voice. “You don’t sound too happy.”

“I’m just tired.” Jason doesn’t tell him he can count on one hand the birthdays he’s had, the days he’s been celebrated just for being alive. The whole time he spent at Camp Jupiter, he didn’t even know.

“But you’re turning twenty-one, that’s a big deal, right? Legally allowed to drink?”

“I’m not gonna.”

Jason opens his eyes, Nico looks earnest. “My mom, Thalia’s mom…she was an alcoholic. Gods know I’m trying not to repeat my father’s mistakes, and now I’m gonna try my best to not repeat my mom’s.”

Nico’s hand is dangerously close to his. “Parents, huh?”

“Hades is a good dad,” Jason says. “Or, he’s trying to be.”

“Yeah.” Nico sighs. Hades wasn’t always this good to him, Jason knows, has heard tidbits of how it was right after Bianca died. “He and Persephone gave us a pomegranate tree for a wedding gift, did I tell you? I gave it to Grover to grow in the forest.”

Jason remembers the kiss he and Nico shared at the wedding, how there was a sweet undertone, and now he realizes it’s the taste of pomegranates.

“My mom never really drank,” Nico says. “Except for wine, every Sunday afternoon. I’d find her dancing in our kitchen and I’d smell grapes. A few times, she gave me and Bianca grape juice in plastic wine glasses, just so it felt like we were sharing it with her.”

Nico’s mother is never really mentioned, except in snippets, in small stories that then are never referred to again. Jason thinks Nico is keeping her to himself, keeping her safe in his memory when he lost those memories before, and he can’t blame him. Maria, in Nico’s stories, is a formidable figure, loving enough to tame the Lord of the Dead, to have him stay and raise their children with her. She is always wearing black, her lips perfectly dark red, an eternal smile for her children. Jason wonders if she would like him.

Jason tries to imagine small Nico, ten years and six decades ago, dancing with Maria Di Angelo in a small Italian kitchen. There aren’t any pictures of him from back then, certainly none from camp, so Jason can’t quite picture of him, this happy boy who rambled on about Mythomagic, holding onto his sister’s hand.

“I bet you were a cute kid,” Jason says.

“Percy says I was annoying.”

“You can be cute and annoying at the same time. Guess you haven’t changed _that_ much.”

“I am the Son of Hades, and the Ghost King. I’m not cute _or_ annoying.”

“Mm-hmm.”

The next day, during Jason’s birthday party, Nico gives him grape juice in a plastic wine glass.

All in all, the first month of marriage is wonderful and pure absolute torture. Nico will smile, hesitantly, as if after all these years he is still afraid of happiness, and Jason will feel like he wants to die, a rush of blood into his heart saying he’ll spend his whole life trying to make Nico smile like that.

Jason has loved Nico for years, but he didn’t know how much more love he could contain for him. It threatens to spill over, in a hurried confession, a regretted kiss, a tight embrace, but Jason finds the strength to only go to the Aphrodite cabin and put his head in Piper’s lap. The kids of Aphrodite are some of the best people he knows - full of love, compassion and joy. Every time he comes over, he’ll get at least three offers for makeovers and a therapy session.

“You wanna talk about it?” she asks.

Jason sighs, braving himself. “I’minlovewithmyhusband.”

Piper strokes his hair, silently going - _why did I date this dumb idiot?_ “You know,” she says, “for most people, that’s a good thing.”

“I’m not most people,” Jason says.

His hair is longer now, and Piper spends her time trying to get him to grow it longer so she can braid it. “You ever think he might actually reciprocate these feelings?”

“Nope,” Jason says mournfully. “Hazel mentioned he had feelings for someone.”

“That could be you, dumbass.” Piper’s hands are gentle, and he misses and loves her all over again. “Me and Nico…we’ve never really become friends, which sucks because I admire the hell out of him. But I see him. I see the way he looks at you.”

“And what way is that?”

“Like how you and I used to look at each other.”

Jason jumps from her lap and wraps her in a tight embrace. “Piper.” He is nothing but tender with her, he doesn’t know how else to be. “You know my whole heart.”

“And you know mine.”

They pull away from each other but their hands still hold onto each other. “I’m sorry I couldn’t love you like you deserved.”

“Jason, it’s been years.” Piper shakes her head. “And you love me just fine.”

Someone comes into the cabin. “Oh, are we cuddling now?” Leo asks, seeing Jason and Piper.

“Yeah, come on here.”

The three of them are all in their early twenties, way too big to be cuddling on one bed surrounded by the rest of Piper’s siblings, but they maneuver, they make do, they always have. Jason ends up with Leo’s hair in his face and Piper’s hand on his waist, Leo between them.

“This is nice,” Leo says, sighing in relief against Piper’s boob. “Why don’t we cuddle more?”

“Because it’s weird,” Drew, from the other end of the cabin, points out.

“You know, if you wanted to join the cuddle, you could’ve just asked, Drew,” Piper says.

“Gross.”

“I hear you’re going to New Rome tomorrow,” Leo says.

Jason nods against Leo’s neck. It’s such a weird kind of rush, cuddling like this, he’s so used to keeping his movements choreographed with Nico that he forgets he has friends he can have this kind of love with, too.

“You could always come with me,” Jason says. “I’ve got a spare room for you, always. Or we could even cuddle like this in my bed.”

“Jason Grace,” Leo gives a scandalized gasp. “You are a married man.”

“Oh yeah.” Jason hides his face in the crook of Leo’s neck. “I am.”

“Jeez, that must hurt,” Leo says.

“What does?”

“You and Nico.”

Jason sits up. “You know?”

Leo shrugs. “Figured it out a few weeks ago. Never thought I’d ever see someone so happy and sad at the same time. Like, that’s Calypso leaving me to explore the world kind of happy-sad.”

“You know she’s going to come back, right?” Piper says. “She loves you.”

“Yeah, I know, but she deserves to see the world, too. Stuck on that island for ages, I was more than happy to let her go. And I had to stay. Finally had a home that wouldn’t kick me out and all.” There’s the Leo Valdez signature laugh, cresting over mountains of sadness and abandonment. “C’mon, pizza at the mess hall. I have a theory that you can cure depression with a pizza sandwich.”

“Do I want to kn-”

“Kraft cheddar singles and ranch dressing between two slices of pizza.”

“Ew.”

Jason’s place in New Rome isn’t anything special. A master bedroom and a spare room (for Leo, like he promised), a small kitchen connected to a living space, with a couch he and Percy found on the streets of San Francisco. The only thing Jason really loves about the place are these huge windows that open up to a balcony, so he can the city underneath them. In the distance, he can see the bell tower of New Rome University, where the next semester of classes start in a few weeks.

It doesn’t look like a home, he knows, Jason’s rarely here, he likes going back to Camp Jupiter to oversee training, and sleeps in his old barracks of the Fifth Cohort. He hasn’t accumulated enough stuff to call this place a home. Nico stands next to him after shadowtravelling.

“This is,” he says, “sparse.”

“Yeah.”

Seeing Nico in his space makes him want to decorate, paint the walls and create a home. Grow flowers, put up white curtains in front of the windows.

“We’ll work on it,” Nico says. “I’ve already promised Hazel she can paint something for us.”

The word _us_ curls around Jason’s heart.

“She can paint all the walls, if she wants. The place will be beautiful.”

A few years ago, on his 18th birthday, Hazel gave him a painting of him. It became one of his most prized possessions, always in a frame in his bag whenever he needs to travel. Not because it’s a portrait of him - but because it’s a painting of how she sees him. She painted him a soft pink glow and lightning in his eyes, the scar on his lip barely more than a comma, she painted him as a friend.

The evening sets outside in the balcony, and the sweet air simmers through the apartment. He smells the coffee, a faint hint of chocolate, bare whispers of a second home. He wanted to explore New Rome with Nico, they’ve never done it together before, but Nico’s face is gaunt, tired. Shadowtravel takes a lot out of him, Jason knows, so he says gently, “Let me make dinner?”

“I’m not a charity case, Jason,” Nico says with a bit more bite than Jason’s used to. “I can do it myself.”

“I know you can,” Jason says. “I just want to.”

Nico softens at that. Five years, he’s been steadier but Jason knows it doesn’t erase the years of neglect, of surviving by himself, shunned out, never hearing a good thing about him, and made feral. There are some parts of him Will fixed, but, and Jason doesn’t want to think about this, there are some he broke.

Jason goes to the kitchen, is happy when he sees some rice, soy sauce and frozen vegetables. It’s not a lot, but enough for tonight, they’ll go shopping tomorrow. He hears shuffling and rustling in the background and smiles. The whole time he’s lived in this apartment, he’s been alone, it’s nice to hear sounds of life around him.

He whips up a quick stirfry, the aroma of ginger, garlic and sesame oil in the kitchen, and Nico is there, looking at him over the counter.

“Smells good,” he says. “Didn’t take you for a cook.”

“I’m not. I’m pretty sure you’d be a better cook than me.” Jason plates some rice and stir fry for both of them, a tea towel on his shoulder. “Drew and Piper just make sure I can make _some_ stuff so I don’t die.”

“Couch?” Nico asks.

“Sure.”

Nico puts his feet up on the coffee table, silently enjoying his meal with a contented hum. “We should get a TV here,” he says.

“A good idea.”

“Some plants.”

“We could ask Katie for some pointers.”

“And some pictures for the walls. Percy took one at the wedding and blew it up to the size of a mountain.”

Jason hopes, hopes, hopes and reaches a shoulder around Nico. He doesn’t shove away and it’s enough. His entire body fizzes with electricity. “That sounds nice.”

He hasn’t had nectar in a good while but he has a suspicion that, when he does, it won’t taste like the chocolate brownies in New Rome anymore, it’ll be pomegranates.

“Hey, Nico,” Jason says. “I hope you know I never think you’re charity case. I’ve never thought that. You can do _anything_ in my eyes. You’ve always been the bravest man I’ve ever known.”

For a moment, it looks like Nico can’t speak.

Jason turns back to his dinner. “Also the most terrifying, but who’s counting?”

When Jason turns in for bed, a weight settles into his chest. Nico didn't unpack here, there's no sign of his black hoodies and ripped jeans, the smell of cinnamon or earth. He must've taken the spare room. Which is fair. Their friends aren't going to pop in during the late night, and they have the space now. Already, he is wishing to be back at Camp Half Blood, wishing for their shared cabin and beds pushed together, the chance for the sunlight to hit Nico's cheekbones in the morning. He strips down to his sweatpants, doesn't bother with a shirt. 

The bed is big, he got it when he and Piper were still together, so there's a space where another person should be. 

He falls asleep, and dreams of his mother, of all of them - Beryl Grace, Lupa, Hera. Flashes of sharp teeth and thunderstorms, Thalia's voice running hoarse, of taking Percy's place and plummeting to Tartarus, of a concerned voice calling his name. The faces change. Reyna, then Drew, then Piper, then Leo, then Nico. Nico, _Nico_. 

"Jason?" 

His eyes open, seeing Nico in front of him, his face pale. 

"Nico? What's wrong?" he asks. 

"Should be asking that to you. You were yelling, in your sleep." 

Jason puts his face in his hands. "Sorry, I'm sorry I woke you. Go back to sleep." It's still dark out, they've got a few more hours to try and sleep. 

Instead of leaving, Nico sits on Jason's bed. "You've never done that before. You usually sleep quietly."

Nico's face is beautiful. The moonlight frames him, a soft jaw, sharp cheekbones, mouth that opens. Jason loves him, so much. A current runs deep in him.

"I don't have nightmares when I'm with you," Jason admits. 

He can hear the quiet whistle of the night. "Me neither." 

Wordlessly, silently, Nico climbs into bed with him. The bed dips, and Jason could cry. 

"Can I-?" 

Jason doesn't know what Nico's asking for, but his brain goes, _anything_. He could no more deny Nico than he could stop his own traitorous, loud heart. He lets out a sound of agreement. Nico reaches for Jason and pulls him closer. He maneuvers them until his arm is wrapped around Jason's waist. 

Here, in the space between awake and dreaming, he can lie to himself. _This could last_. 

But a voice echoes in his mind, as Nico's breath steadies, that sounds like his mother - _it won't_. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i....cannot write action but the plot demanded it so have some v lackluster fighting
> 
> majority of the chapter was written with 'raging fire' by phillip phillips playing bcos 'won't you turn my soul into a raging fire?' um das a jasico mood

July slowly ends, sticky and sweet. The heat makes his mouth loose, honey dripping.

Mornings are spent; in Nico’s arms, which still feels like a miracle even after a little bit more than a week of it happening, Jason tracing patterns on the palm of Nico’s hands, and up his arms, while he sleeps, big breakfasts consisting of pancakes because Nico is trying to make the perfect batch, the summer air wafting in through the curtains they bought together.

Afternoons for training and meetings for the new Greek-Roman Games, being held at the end of August before the summer campers of Camp Half Blood go home and a new semester starts at New Rome University. By the time evening rolls around, both his mind and body ache - thinking too hard, training too hard. The absolute pain of loving Nico has slowly simmered away, because Nico kept coming back to his bed every night. They don’t talk about - Jason, because he’s scared he might ruin it, and never have this unyielding comfort again, Nico probably because it’s embarrassing.

It’s Jason’s turn to cook dinner tonight, and his body wants to fizzle from the domesticity of it all, and gets some chicken and vegetables from the market in New Rome.

“Jason?” a voice calls as his hands are full of produce. Nico, as of late, has been having a thing for peppers so Jason’s got the whole lot - red, yellow, green. He manages to turn without dropping anything.

“Will!”

He hasn’t changed much, since he left camp a few months after he and Nico broke up. Messy blonde hair, a smile, though Jason sees the beginnings of a beard on him.

“You need help?”

“Nah, I’m alright.” Jason puts everything in his bag and goes to hug Will. Will is a good guy, Jason really believes that, no one brighter than him. “How are you? What’re you doing here?”

Will holds up a New Rome University brochure. “Thought I might see it, see if I could come.”

“Aren’t you in med school?” Jason asks. “Like, mortal med school?”

“Yeah, I am, I’m just…exploring my options.”

They’re holding up the line in the market so Jason slings an arm around Will’s shoulder and they walk through the stalls, as they start to close. He wonders how long Will’s been here, he should take him around the city when it’s bustling, hurried and full of life.

“You got a place to stay tonight?” Jason asks. “I mean, we’ve got a spare room-”

“I’ve got a place in the Bay Area for a few weeks. I might as well stick around for the Greek-Roman Games. I’m betting you guys will need a medic.”

Jason smiles. “Good, I’m glad you’re staying.”

Will looks at him, then to his hand around the shopping bag. His wedding band. “Congratulations, by the way.”

“Oh, uh, thank you.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to the wedding, but from what Nico’s told me, it was kind of a rushed thing.”

His steps falter and he hopes Will doesn’t notice. “You’ve talked to Nico?”

Will shrugs. “Yeah, we talk. Letters, most of the time, or Iris Messaging every two weeks or something. We keep in touch, have been for a few months.”

 _Oh_. Right.

“I’m happy for you, really,” Will says. Somehow, there is pain in his voice, but Jason’s not sure. “You were always there for him in ways I wasn’t. And I get it, I was young, we both were.”

 _You’re not that young anymore_.

“He was just coming out and I know I might’ve…pushed him harder than was necessary. I liked him, y’know? But he needed a friend, more than anything.”

“So that’s what you became.”

Will laughs. “I mean, I’m trying. You know Nico, you can barely know what he’s thinking sometimes. Well, maybe not _you_ you, since you’re married now.”

“Yeah.” Jason looks at Will, who’s looking at the moon. “I gotta go, dinner and all. I’ll see you at the Games?”

“Sure, see you then.”

It makes sense. Nico and Will reconciling, keeping in touch, Will trying to be a better person then Nico telling Hazel he might have feelings for someone but not saying who. It makes sense but it still _fucking_ hurts. The last few nights - he could almost pretend he was Nico’s.

His feet take him home, but his mind is stuck on a memory five years old, when he knew the friendship he felt for Nico lit him on fire and he’d spend the rest of his life in flames, watching Nico fall in love with Percy, with Will, with anyone else but him. Because the truth is, Nico hasn’t had an easy life and Jason, he wanted to feel like a constant for him. Will was right, after all. More than anything, Nico needed a _friend_.

So Jason could live, without Nico’s love, as long as Nico knew he had a friend in him, someone steady, someone who would never take advantage of this precious, _precious_ friendship. This good, _pure_ thing.

Nico sits at the kitchen counter and Jason reminded of this simple, undeniable fact. His hair is messy, but he’s said to Jason he can cut it, there is a beginning of a smile curling at the end of his lips when he sees Jason. Jason knees buckle at the sight of him. _Anything_ , Jason thinks, _for him_.

“You okay?” Nico asks.

Jason hums, not trusting himself to speak without _crying_.

Nico walks across the room, to him, and inspects him with his eyes, his hands, so gentle. He can’t handle this. “Sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Here.” He holds Jason’s hands so the groceries are passed over. Jason’s throat is thick, his head heavy. He needs to - he needs to be steady, for Nico. “I can make dinner tonight, no problem.”

“No, I- I promised.”

Nico puts a finger under Jason’s chin, lifts him, lifts him, so his eyes have no choice but to lock with Nico’s. “I can take care of you, too,” he says. “You gonna let me, Grace?”

“Yeah.”

Nico doesn’t ask again, but his hands move Jason to the couch, leaving him to sit in front of their ( _their_ ) TV, the show playing doing nothing but supplying white noise. Nico doesn’t tell him he should speak up or talk to him, because he knows demons better than anyone. It doesn’t take that long for things to become normal again, sliding into place, but, that night, if Jason holds Nico’s hand a little tighter, no one needs to know.

Camp Jupiter is in full swing - Jason’s never seen it decked out like this. Garlands and streamers, big banners welcoming Greek campers. Romans, by nature, are a bit withdrawn, militaristic, so it’s nice to Dakota wearing a flower crown Katie Gardner gave him, or Mike Kahale trying to make sure everything looks good for pictures. Stalls have opened selling Greek olives and Roman bread, vegetables, and also mac and cheese. Nico made a big breakfast today but the smells of it are already making him hungry.

Everyone’s wearing armour, which, in the August heat, must be uncomfortable but Jason can’t bring himself to care. He’s _happy_.

There are people in the stands in the main arena, where a majority of the Games are going to happen in the next two days. The first game of the day is simple, just a warm up, but tomorrow, there’ll be wrestling, chariot races, the works. He’s only really volunteered for the first day as a favour to Annabeth who is pulling her hair out trying to organize this. Tomorrow, he’ll basically be her assistant and making sure she doesn’t kill anyone on sight.

Jason can see Reyna and Percy discussing not too far away, only their colours have switched - Reyna in Half-Blood orange and Percy in Roman purple. He makes a note to tell him he looks good in purple, just to mess with him.

“You better stop smiling or else your face is gonna freeze that way,” a voice cuts through the excitement.

“Worth it,” Jason says to Hazel. She and Nico’s arms are linked. As happy as Jason thinks Nico is with him, there is a shade of joy Nico wears that’s only around Hazel. Jason leans in and kisses them both on the cheek. “You excited?”

“Yeah.” Hazel nods. “Me and Frank are on opposing teams for the first round and I am going to kick his ass.”

“Excuse me?” Nico asks.

“I’m eighteen, Nico, I can say ass!” Hazel yells. “And fu-”

“Hazel.”

Jason sometimes thinks Hazel is Nico’s gift (and punishment) for being an annoying little sibling to Bianca.

“Who are you teaming up with?” Jason asks.

“Piper, and Frank’s with Leo. Have to say, I like the one Greek, one Roman thing,” Hazel finds Piper in the crowd and throws her a hand gesture that signifies Frank and Leo are going down, which Piper imitates. “You guys are on a team later today, right?”

“Yeah, against Drew and Reyna for the first round.”

“The crowd will love that. You two, together,” Hazel says.

The horn blares and Percy and Reyna announce the start of the Games, welcoming everyone to the first annual Greek-Roman Games.

“I know times have been trying but, believe it or not, we’re all family here,” Percy is saying. “And family…beats each other up? But like, in a safe, controlled environment!”

He’s going to be the best, dumbest dad one day, Jason decides.

“We’ve got a lot to learn from each other and I hope today is the first day of a long, happy friendship.”

“The game is simple,” Reyna says. “One team, consisting of one Greek and one Roman tries to overtake the defenders of the flag. Whoever gets the flag, wins. We’ll be doing this tourney style so the last two teams standing will have a friendly duel. No killing but maiming is encouraged.”

“ _Encouraged_?” he can see Percy mouth to Reyna, who smirks.

Hazel and Piper fight with ease, born out of nights in the Aphrodite cabin and making jokes about white people (mostly at Jason’s expense, which he can’t find the strength to be mad at). Hazel is shorter so uses her small frame to her advantage, dodging and aiming low, while Piper’s gracefulness make her the best for stealth movements.

Jason knows Frank is one of the best warriors in the legion but he’s pulling his punches today. He staggers, falls back when he shouldn’t and Jason knows why. It’s Hazel.

They broke up, amicably, a bit after Gaea, mostly because of the fact that Hazel was _thirteen_ and she really wasn’t ready for a relationship, no matter how good a guy Frank was. So Frank respectfully backed off, gave her space, and became her friend, but Jason sees, Jason knows - the same kind of fire that’s in him whenever he’s with Nico. But there’s a major difference between him and Frank - Hazel loves him back. Frank knows this, Hazel knows this. One day, when she’s ready, they will merely fall into a relationship with ease, and Frank will welcome it.

“You know, I used to think there was no one good enough for Hazel,” Nico says, watching them fight.

“Yeah?”

“I still think that.” Nico crosses his arms. “But Frank is okay, I guess.”

“I’m gonna catch you being the best uncle to their kids in, like, ten years.” His heart twists, thinking of Nico with kids, how good he is with the young campers.

“Please, _you’ll_ be their favourite uncle.”

And, what _the hell_ does that mean? Does it mean, Jason and Hazel are going to be such good friends that he’ll irrevocably be part of her children’s lives or -like, Jason will still be Hazel’s family in ten years? Because he and Nico will still be married? Because that’s-

He chokes on his drink.

Hazel and Piper win, to no one’s surprise.

Jason and Nico are defenders for their first round, but Drew by herself is already scary, pair her up with Reyna and he’s not sure how he’s not peed his pants yet. He and Nico haven’t had the opportunity to fight together much so it’s incredible so quickly they can pick up on each other’s movements.

Drew sets her sights on Jason, claiming that he borrowed her moisturizer months ago and never gave it back (he won’t _ever_ admit to it - his skin has never been better) so she’s taking revenge. But she and Reyna must have discussed strategy before so once she has Jason incapacitated with a kick in his shin, she zeroes in on Nico.

She comes at him with her dagger and Jason comes between them, getting a slash on his arm. Reyna closes it on the flag and and, for good measure, elbows Jason’s neck so he goes down.

Reyna grabs the flag with resounding applause as Jason picks Nico up from the ground. Nico surveys him for injuries Drew gave him, but he gives a weak smile for reassurance. Nothing he can’t handle. Nico relaxes in relief.

Jason can’t even start to process before Nico hauls him in by his armour for a bruising kiss. _Oh_. Oh, hell, this is better than he remembered - Nico’s lips are dry, and chapped, but open, and the scent of him, so close, Jason almost wants to growl. The sweet, earthy smell, it overwhelms him.

Nico pulls away and Jason’s embarrassed to admit then he leaned in a bit, to chase him, to have him back. “You’re stupid, you could’ve been seriously hurt.”

The adrenaline, from both the fighting and the kiss, goes to his head, so all he can say is a dopey, “Yeah.”

Nico’s cheeks flush pink and he disentangles himself from Jason. “I’m gonna get a drink.”

Then he processes the crowds, still cheering over Reyna’s victory, and Drew coming towards him with a hazy look, eyes pointed at Reyna.

“I think,” she says, “I’m gay.”

Jason gives her a sympathetic hum.

It’s like the rest of the day, he’s powered on that kiss, the knowledge of it existing without having their friends goad them into it, without any pretense other than relief. He gets braver and initiates touch with Nico as much as he can, testing the waters. Wondering, even if Nico still had feelings for Will before their marriage, if the past two months have…maybe changed things.

He holds Nico’s hand under the table when they eat, where no one can see, and kisses his knuckles before every round they have to fight. Jason’s lips haven’t touched any part of Nico’s body other than his lips and now he wants. The skin of his knuckles, the palms of his hands, anything, everything, Jason wants to _scream_.

Nico doesn’t say anything, only flushes and soaks in every last bit of affection Jason’s brave enough to give. When the day is over, maybe they’ll talk and maybe Jason will be braver.

They make it through to the last round, against all odds, to fight against Percy and Dakota. He thinks the only reason they’re not going against Drew and Reyna is because they were too busy making out. Which, you know, good for Drew.

“A duel!” Reyna yells. “One from each team.”

The choice is already made. Nico looks over Jason’s armour and gives him a smile. He leans up and kisses Jason on the cheek. “Fuck him up.”

“You got it.”

Percy and Jason square each other up before the horn sounds. He’s fought alongside and against Percy loads of times over the years and he’s scared to say, nine times out of ten, it ends in a tickling match. Which doesn’t bode well for the crowd cheering them on.

The duel starts up. Jason and Percy are equally matched, even with Jason’s few more years of experience under his belt. But something comes at him barely even a minute into the match, a hit to his arm, where Drew’s dagger went through. Shit, that hurts. Surprised, Jason falls back, and Percy lifts him.

“What the-”

Two legionnaires come towards him, masked.

Percy manages to counter one of their sword attacks with Riptide and Jason picks up his own sword from the ground before the other comes. He recognizes them. Carl, and Reza from the Second Cohort. They were close with Octavian, before he died, because, of course, Octavian would find a way to make life difficult for all of them even five years after he died.

“What are you _doing_?” Jason yells as Reza comes at him, strike, striking with his own sword. He manages to stab his sword through a chink in Jason's armour. Ugh. 

“Protesting,” Reza answers. “You really thought no one would put up a fight?”

Jason swerves, turns, manages to catch Reza’s sword in his and knocks him out with the hilt of his sword.

People have started to come down from the stands - Annabeth, Nico, Mike and Reyna. Percy’s got Carl in a hold, hands behind his back, and knees him to get him to drop the sword.

Carl’s on the floor, Reza unconscious next to him and Percy is incensed.

“What were you thinking?” Percy yells. “This is a peaceful game, what the fuck is your problem?”

“Greeks and Romans weren’t supposed to make nice like this,” Carl says.

Percy throws up his hands. “No one made any fucking fuss about it until you two turned up! We’re all friends here, look at Jason and Nico, they got _married_ to make sure shit like this doesn’t happen.”

“You,” Carl says, seething at Jason. “We’re supposed to believe this match isn’t just a political marriage? That the son of Jupiter would stoop so low as to fall in love with a Greek? A son of _Hades,_ of all people? You used to be the pride of this camp.”

Jason can’t stop his feet, wants to punch him in the face for talking to Nico that way. “Nico has more bravery and honour than you do in your fucking asshole!”

Dakota and Mike only barely hold him back, pulling at his arms. “You shouldn’t do this,” Dakota says.

“But I will.” Nico steps forward and hits Carl straight in the face, causing his lip to open and bleed. “If you even _speak_ to my husband again, I will personally escort you to Tartarus to be eaten by hellhounds.”

He wants to kiss him, he wants to marry him all over again. Nico called Jason _his_.

“Stop this!” Annabeth yells.

Carl spits out his blood on the ground. “What, just because you hold these silly games we’re supposed to forget we’re fundamentally different?”

“No! Of course we’re different, we didn’t even know the other existed until five years ago!” Annabeth looks enraged. “You’re supposed to remember that there are a lot of things out there that want to kill demigods and _we_ shouldn’t be one of them.”

Percy holds Annabeth by her shoulder. “She’s right. We should protect each other. Who else will? The monsters, our _parents_? No. Our fate is in our hands and I sure as hell feel a lot better having more brothers and sisters to have my back.”

“So, what? You’re gonna banish me now?” Carl asks.

Everyone looks to Reyna, who, for a moment doesn’t speak. “No,” she says definitively. “But you will be punished, for trying to kill our friends.”

Jason sags in Dakota’s grip, the pain a bit much for too long. Will is there in seconds, his medic bag slung over his shoulder.

“I told you you’d need a medic,” Will says. He lets Jason balance on him, and he guides him to a tent not too far from the main arena.

“Ha ha,” is all Jason can come up with.

Will, and Nico, help him with his armour and undershirt. He has cuts on his arm, and a sharp wound where his armour was loose on his abdomen. Will starts work on cleaning the wound and bandaging him while Nico tips his head back, urging him to drink some nectar. There, there it is, the taste of it. He was right - it doesn’t have the same taste as it did before he and Nico got married. It’s pomegranate and cinnamon and the vanilla cake they had at their wedding.

Jason knows he’s looking up at Nico with awe but he doesn’t care anymore. Nico just defended him, saved him, and maybe he feels the same way for Jason. The thought itself is heady, exhilarating, coupled with the pain, he sees nothing else but Nico.

“Nico, can you get some water?” Will asks.

“What? Oh, yeah, sure.” He reluctantly breaks eye contact with Jason.

Nico leaves and Jason lets out a sigh.

“He’ll be back, stop whining,” Will berates. His face is scrunched up, and he’s got his tongue out in concentration.

“You’ve got a cute concentration face,” Jason says, high on pain and Nico. The nectar helped, though.

“Careful now, we’re both taken, Mr Grace.”

“You-?”

Will blushes. “Yeah, Connor. I’m sure he and Travis are somewhere causing mayhem.”

“That’s nice.”

Nico comes back and helps Jason drink some water. Will stands, happy with the bandages he’s put on. “You can take him home now and, no, uh, _extracurricular activities_ for the night,” he says to Nico. Then he smirks. “Doctor’s orders.”

Nico flips him off, but the edges of his mouth are upturned. “Fuck off, Solace.”

The walk back home is sobering. They don’t talk but there are spaces of quiet where conversations should be. Jason is still processing, and Nico looks like he’s doing the same. He feels bad for not trying to fix the mess of today with the rest of the committee, but he’s tired, he’s so tired. The excitement of the day has slowly been eroded by insecurity, by the absolute and sudden fear that he’s fucked up, that he’s fucked up this one good and precious thing he has with Nico, that he’s going to fuck it up even more before the night ends.

Jason Grace, he’s supposed to be a leader, a friend, not this - not this selfish boy who _wants_ so much he might ruin his best friend over it. If his father could see him now -

The god of justice and truth, where is the justice in this?

The apartment is as they left it - their stuff all over, the bed made - but Jason feels different. Today carried lifetimes.

“You’re quiet,” Nico says after he locks the door.

“Did…did you know Will and Connor were together?” Jason asks, because it’s a start.

Nico raises his eyebrows. “Yeah. Both of them asked for my blessing,” he answers. “It’s a weird match, but at least Will won’t ever get bored and -why are you asking this?”

Jason’s whole body aches, and not just because of the injuries. He shouldn’t be doing this, he knows, he knows, but - “I thought you were still in love with Will.”

“Jason-”

“And I didn’t -I didn’t want to get in the way, even if we had to get married -it was- you didn’t have to-”

“Jason,” Nico says. “You are so _infuriating_.”

His voice is small. “What?”

Nico strides towards him, trapping Jason between his body and the wall. “Did you miss the part where _I_ offered to marry _you_? Where I slept in your bed every night for the past two months? Where I kept wearing your clothes? I’ve stolen three shirts from you and you _haven’t even noticed_.”

“You-”

Nico kisses him, square on the mouth. It is sweet, at first, chaste, but when Jason doesn’t pull away, he seems to gain courage. Jason couldn’t pull away even if he wanted to, there’s no force stronger than Nico. “You stupid-” kiss “self-sacrificing” kiss “complete” kiss “ _idiot_.”

Jason slumps. He doesn’t know if it’s tiredness, or relief, or the feeling of Nico finally kissing him without an audience, but he moans, he sighs, right into Nico’s mouth.

“Did you really not know?” Nico asks.

His mouth is struggling to make words. “Know what?”

Nico kisses him again, Jason’s head is light. “This. How much I’ve wanted this.”

“No.”

Because he didn’t. All these years, he never once entertained the notion of this ever happening, him in Nico’s arms, being kissed by him, having the chance to put his hands on Nico’s shoulders, gripping on the muscle there.

“I thought -well, I thought you didn’t feel the same way and fuck that hurt, having you and not having you at all,” Nico is saying. “I thought you were in love with someone else-”

Jason can’t be quick enough with his actions, he can’t let a single heartbeat pass without Nico knowing, too, “It was you. It is you. For _years_. I don’t even -remember what it’s like to not be-”

They’re kissing again, and Nico’s mouth opens. Jason licks into it, tasting him, feeling the moans that come out. He’s so responsive, every action met by tenderness, so much gentleness that Jason wonders how anyone looked at Nico and thought him dangerous. This boy, with his ill-fitting aviator jacket and the power to raise the dead, all he needed was love.

He tangles Nico’s hair between his fingers, and pulls a groan out of him.

“Nico.” His mouth is hoarse, like he’s been crying. He has, he realizes belatedly, as Nico brushes his thumb against his cheek, chasing the salt away.

Their foreheads touch. “You’re such a romantic sap.” The words are teasing but when their eyes meet again, Nico is nothing but sweet, soft.

“What do you need?” Jason asks.

“Just, you,” Nico answers. He droops in Jason’s arms, puts his head on his shoulder. “I’m about to drop dead, my mind and heart and body are fucking tired. Can we just profess our undying love for each other tomorrow?”

Jason laughs, incredulous. “Sure, sweetheart. Let’s go to bed.”

Nico is red. “Don’t call me that.”

“I think you like it,” Jason says. Gods, Nico makes him feel brave, and weak, and stupid, and loved. “When I’m all healed, I’m carrying you to the bedroom like a proper husband.”

There is laughter, longer and more exuberant than he’s ever experienced in Nico.

“What?” Jason takes off his shoes, helps with Nico’s so they can topple over the bed.

“We’re married,” Nico says, full of disbelief. “We’re _married_ , Jason. And we haven’t even gone on a date. No one proposed.”

Jason can at least lift him to comfort in the bed. They’re sweaty and dirty but that’s fine, they can do laundry tomorrow, sleep in the spare room while it dries.

“I can take you out on a date.” He is already thinking of a nice restaurant in the Bay Area, and the suit he hasn’t worn since he and Piper broke up, or the aquarium, or the graveyard. Anywhere. Jason settles on the bed, looking at Nico. “You want me to propose?”

“Gods, no, not now, I’m gonna cry.” Nico covers his face. “I’m gonna scream and die, and definitely cry.”

Jason brushes hair out of his face. “Okay, not tonight.” But it sounds like a promise. Not tonight - but someday. And he’ll know what Nico will say. He knows now. His entire soul is bared open and, one day, Nico will say yes. He carries that knowledge, sweet in his mouth, into his dreams.

“Can I?”

“Anything.”

He doesn’t know who speaks. It doesn’t matter. They are both done denying themselves and each other love.

Jason can't remember the last time he slept in. But Nico's arms are warm around him and there were no nightmares. He's woken up by light kisses along his jaw, his neck. He could get used to this. 

"Should we tell our friends?" Nico asks and Jason turns, looking at him in the face. 

"Tell them what? That we're in love and married? I think they know. Otherwise Percy would not be making kissy noises whenever he walks past us." 

Pink rises on Nico's cheek. Man, he's adorable, he's so cute, Jason's so happy he can tell him that now, which just makes him flush harder. 

"I mean, Piper, Drew and Leo knew I had a big crush on you, so I just probably tell them everything's all good now," Jason says, tracing a finger over Nico's cheekbones, his tip of his nose. There is a monster in him that preens at the casual way he can do this now, dole out as much affection as Nico can handle. "But, it's up to you. We could come clean." 

Nico mutters something Jason can't hear. 

"What's that?"

"I'm fine with not telling them," he says. "It doesn't change anything, does it? Because this is, uh, this is where I would've ended up anyway."

 _With you_ , goes unspoken 

"Okay." Jason kisses Nico's nose. "Then we won't. Does this mean I'm not going to be a divorcee come winter solstice?" 

Nico shifts his body so he's straddling Jason's waist. "Not if I have anything to do with it." 

They kiss, soft and lazy, open-mouthed. Morning breath is inconvenient, but, for Nico, he can handle it for a little while longer. Something in him stirs, heat rises up his neck, and he wants. There is a hunger to their kisses now, a heat, a moan and a growl. 

"Uh," Jason says, "we should slow down. No extracurricular activities, remember?"

Nico's breath is heavy. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. I don't want to be my first time-"

Jason's eyes widen. "First time?"

Nico nods. "I mean, I was fourteen when I dated Will, and there wasn't really anyone after." 

"Me, too."

"You and Piper-?"

"Nope," his mouth gives a loud pop sound, which somehow intrigues Nico, makes him look at Jason's mouth again. "Good thing I saved myself for marriage."

Nico groans and Jason laughs. "You're horrible, I want a divorce." 

"See, you say that but Nico Jr seems to like me very much." Jason lifts his hips to make a point but, oh no, bad move, their erections brush against each other and he loses all thought, all motor function. Nico only smirks. He's beautiful. Jason wonders if anyone's ever told him that. Nico slides down his body, settles, until his head is on Jason's chest, hearing his heartbeat. 

"C'mon," Jason says. "Shower and breakfast and out we go. Annabeth is gonna kill us otherwise." 

Nico lets out a soft grumble. "She can kill me here, then I never have to leave you."

"You won't have to. Leave me, I mean. And I won't ever leave you, either."

It's a rush, to be able to say anything he's thinking, finally. It'll take a while, Jason knows, for Nico to understand, for the truth to sink in, but he could say the same for himself. He'll stay for as long as he has to, forever, even to Elysium, until it sticks. He's had five years to know and love Nico, he knows nothing else. They haven't said the words yet, not really, not in its rawest form, but there's time. Jason won't push, this is enough. 

"I am who I am, because you never left," Nico confesses. There it is, the truth again - how they save each other, over and over again.

Nico stands, and offers his hand to Jason. 

No one treats them differently, and Jason didn't think they would. Well, the exceptions are Leo who attacks him with a bear hug and a sloppy kiss on the cheek and Piper and Drew, who come with hugs with Nico. The Games go off without much else drama and everyone goes home, bone tired but happy. A committee has been established for Greek-Roman disputes and Carl and Reza have been demoted to latrine duty for the next month. 

During the winter solstice, Jason proudly tells all the gods, especially his father, this, tells them they don't need to worry about a demigod civil war. They're all family.

Drew and Reyna have their fingers interlocked, Percy and Annabeth are sporting engagement bands and the joy of getting an apartment not too far from Camp Half Blood. Jason's apartment in New Rome has multi-coloured walls from Hazel, beautiful wreaths from Grover and Juniper, a miniature version of Festus sitting on their kitchen counter Leo made for them, letters from Thalia and her hunters writing about their adventures.

Nico and his care and attention, it reminds him of miracles. Sometimes, the biggest miracle in his life is waking up next to Nico every morning, this kid who lost so much but still found love in his sister, his friends, his family. Other times, he's reminded of the truth. The miracle of a boy, abandoned at two, raised by wolves, made vicious, lost - having this. Home, family, with a bunch of kids who haven't known anything like it. 

"It's going to be messy, I'm not going to promise there aren't going to be fights. Families are messy," Jason says. "But they're also supposed to forgive each other, respect each other. At least, real ones do."

It's the closest he'll ever get to saying 'fuck you' to his dad. 

"I am glad to hear it, son," Zeus says. 

"Also, I thought you should know I'll be spending Christmas in the Underworld this year." Jason finds Nico's hand and grips, tight. Nico told him a few weeks ago he just redecorated his room in the Underworld - a king-sized bed, and some flowers. "With my husband." 

Hades laughs, Zeus's face goes white. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love these boys let them kiss and rest
> 
> yass i did it!! thank u to everyone who gave kudos and comments and who will hopefully give kudos and comments to this very self-indulgent fic


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